The man holding a loaded gun that an Akron police officer shot and killed on Thursday night at 11:01 PM, turns out to have actually been a 15 year old boy; Jazmir Tucker, of Maple Heights.

Both the officer who shot him; a five-year Akron police veteran, and his partner, who has been with the department less than a year, have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is underway by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Akron Police.

Police say the officers were sitting in their police cruiser filling out paperwork from a prior incident near the intersection of East Avenue and Vernon Odom Boulevard, when they heard shots fired. When they got out to invesgitate; they encountered a man with a loaded firearm, who was then shot by one of the officers. 

Akron Mayor, Shammas Malik, issued this statement in response:

“On Thursday, November 28th, shortly after 11pm, an officer involved shooting occurred here in Akron which has left 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker deceased. Every loss of life is a tragedy, and to lose a young life is heartbreaking. My condolences are with Jazmir’s loved ones tonight. My thoughts are also with our Akron police officers and their families.

There is currently limited information available as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) will conduct an independent investigation. I believe the BCI investigation will provide a full understanding of the incident. I ask our community to reserve judgment until more facts are shared, knowing that it is a difficult thing to ask in situations like this.

The city will be releasing body worn camera footage within the next week in order to provide transparency into this incident.”